T20 World Cup: Pakistan to face arch-rivals India on Oct 23 at Melbourne Cricket Floor

The arch-rivals will lock horns on the Melbourne Cricket Floor (MCG) on October 23, a day after Australia start their title defence towards New Zealand in Sydney — a repeat of the 2021 last in Dubai the place Aaron Finch’s crew gained their maiden crown.

The 16-nation event will start on October 16 with Sri Lanka dealing with Namibia in Geelong — certainly one of seven venues as Australia hosts for the primary time.

“Our planning was ultra-detailed final time and realizing what the teams appear to be 9 months out is basically useful as a result of it will probably assist your stage of element in that planning section an increasing number of,” Finch stated.

“It is a powerful group although, and while you throw in qualifiers just like the West Indies and Sri Lanka, you have to play very well to get out of that group stage.”

The highest two groups from each Group A and Group B within the preliminary first spherical will be part of the mechanically certified nations within the Tremendous 12 stage.

England, New Zealand, Australia and Afghanistan have been drawn collectively in Group 1. India, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh are clubbed in Group 2.

The highlight shall be on the Group 2 India-Pakistan contest on the MCG, with the 2 lately solely assembly in multi-nation occasions resulting from tensions over occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan recorded their first win over India in World Cups final 12 months in Dubai after they hammered Virat Kohli’s crew.

The Sydney Cricket Floor will host the primary semi-final on November 9 whereas the second last-four conflict shall be held on the Adelaide Oval.

The ultimate shall be performed on the MCG on November 13 below lights. The event will start with a six-day preliminary stage of two four-team teams.

Sri Lanka and Namibia in Group A, and West Indies and Scotland in Group B shall be joined by 4 qualifiers but to be decided.

Australia had been resulting from host the T20 World Cup in 2020 but it surely was delayed two years due to the coronavirus pandemic with India retaining the 2021 version — although that version needed to be shifted to Dubai due to Covid.